Islanders Roll Past Nelson Soma All-Stars in Italy

Aug 22, 2013

NELSON SOMMA, ITALY – After a slow start, the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi men's basketball team rolled to a 108-45 victory over the Nelson Soma ASD All-Stars in the first game of their 10-day Italian tour. Cole Martinez led six scorers in double figures with 19 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

Jake Kocher scored 14 points, going 4-for-5 from the field in his first competitive game in over a year, after missing all of the 2012-13 season due to injury. Joy Williamson added 13 points, shooting 6-for-9 from the field.

Early in the game, the Islanders and Soma were in a tight battle, with A&M-Corpus Christi holding a 21-18 lead early in the second quarter. But the Islanders went on a 29-5 run to close the first half, then outscored Soma 29-3 in the third to pull away in the win.

Zane Knowles nearly posted a double-double with 12 points and nine rebounds, while Jeff Beverly added 12 and 8. Brandon Pye rounded out the double-figure scoring with 11 points of his own, as the Islanders shot 45-for-74 (.608) in the game.

John Jordan dished out seven assists, while Dale Francis had nine points and nine rebounds in the win. Rashawn Thomas posted eight points and eight boards in his Islanders debut, while Jelani Currie posted four points and seven caroms.

The Islanders will return to the hardwood on Saturday, Aug. 24, with a game against Oleggio Basket. Tipoff is set for 6 p.m. in Italy (11 a.m. in Corpus Christi). For all the latest on Islanders Basketball, follow the team on Twitter/Instagram (@IslandersMBB) and Facebook (Islanders Men's Basketball).